Device for attaching fabric to umbrella ribs



Jan. 20, 1953 M. FERRANTE 2,625,947

DEVICE FOR ATTACHING FABRIC T O UMBRELLA RIBS Filed Sept. 15, 1949 lNVENTOR MARCO FERRANTE ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 20, 1953 DEVICE FOR ATTACHING FABRIC TO UMBRELLA RIBS Marco Ferrante, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 15, 1949, Serial No. 115,929

. Claims.

This invention relates to umbrellas, and more particularly, to the attachment of the umbrella fabric to the ribs.

The object of this invention is to provide a manner of attaching the umbrella fabric to the frame ribs which will dispense with the need of the said sewing or thread-attaching operation. An allied object of the invention is to provide a quicker and cheaper manner of attachment. Specifically, it is the object of the instant invention to provid a purely mechanical arrangement for attaching umbrella fabric to the ribs. There is provided in the novel fabric-rib attachment of the invention, a small metallic clasp which is firmly secured to the fabric,'the secured clasps then being attached under tension to the ribs.

Accordingly, a prime object of the invention is to provide a metallic clasp which is firmly and easily secured at the proper spaced points about the periphery of the umbrella fabric. This object of the invention contemplates that the fabric-secured clasps are readily and quickly fastened or placed on the tips of the ribs, and that the clasps will remain permanently in place on the ribs.

Accordingly, a still further object of the invention is to provide a fabric-rib attachment which is not subject to stresses or causes which would tend to sever or loosen the attachment between fabric and rib.

For the attainment of the foregoing and such other objects as may appear or be pointed out, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved clasp before securement to the umbrella fabric.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved clasp as fully secured to the fabric, and

Fig. 3 shows a portion of an umbrella in perspective, with several of the improved clasps in various views and positions, as will be described.

The improved clasp, shown in Fig. 1, before securement to the umbrella fabric, is fabricated from metal of the proper thickness and characteristics to permit the clasp to be stamped from a single blank, and also to permit the same to be firmly secured to the umbrella fabric by bending over certain parts of the clasp (as will be described). As thus fabricated from the blank the clasp has a tubular portion 9 at one end, which is made of such diameter that this end of the clasp will readily fit over the plain end of the frame rib, such as the rib l9, Fig. 3. The clasp also has a flat body portion 8, which is bent up at both sides to form wings I, 1. Before securement to the umbrella fabric, and as shown in Fig. l, wings I, 1 project upright and normally to fiat portion 8.

Flat portion 8 and its wings I, I are disposed between the aforesaid tubular portion 9 and a tip portion 6 which is flat and which terminates in a sphere 5. The end of the clasp at portion 6 and. sphere 5 will be referred to as the tip end of the clasp because when finally secured to the umbrella fabric (designated ill in Fig. 3) and to the ribs (IS, in said Fig. 3), as is the clasp designated A (in Fig. 6), this end of the clasp constitutes the tip of the ribs. The end of the clasp at tubular portion 9 will be referred to as the rib end of the clasp because this end of the clasp is attached to the ribs of the frame. j

That is, in the final disposition of the fabricsecured and rib-attached clasps, such as A in Fig. 3, the rib end 9 is next to the umbrella rib I9 and the tip end 5 constitutes the tip end of the rib. But in the step of securing the clasp to the umbrella fabric, as shown at B in Fig. 3, the clasp is disposed in the opposite direction. That is, the clasp is not presented to the fabric, more particularly, its edge I I, Fig. 2, with the rib end 9 leading, but rather with the tip end 5--B leading. In other words, the clasp is presented to the fabric (Fig. 2 and B in Fig. 3) in the opposite direction to that assumed by the clasp when finally disposed (A in Fig. 6)

The edge of the flat portion 8 and wings I. I which is thus presented to the fabric is provided with a pair of V-shaped cutouts 4, 4 symmetrical with respect to the center axis of the clasp. The purpose of cutouts 4, 4 is to facilitate the positioning upon flat portion 8 (between pair of wings 1, 1) of a bit of the umbrella fabric. In Fig. l, the fabric edge is designated II, and it will be observed that fabric edge clears in cutouts 4, 4 to present a bunched or gathered portion of the fabric, designated [2, on fiat portion 8. It will also be observed, from this figure, and also Fig. 3, that the clasps are placed at the seams between panels of the fabric, which seams are designated l3.

After the gathered fabric [2 (at the seam I3) is placed on flat 8 of the clasps, its pair of wings I, 1 are bent over, as shown in Fig. 2 and at B, Fig. 3 to confine the gathered fabric between the clamped fiat 8 and wings I. In this position of the secured clasp, such as B and C, Fig. 3, its tip end 5-6 points towards the tip of the umbrella T and its rib end 9 points toward the handle H thereof. Thereafter the secured clasp,

such as B and C, Fig. 3 is turned upon itself so that, as in the case of A, Fig. 3, its tip end 5-6 will now point in the proper direction towards the handle H and its "rib end 9 will point towards the umbrella tip T. In this orientation of clasp A, its tubular rib end 9 is placed or snapped over the end of rib I9.

It is understood that the tubular (rib) end 9 of the secured clasp is snapped onto the end of the rib I9 under tension, which is made possible by the resiliency of the umbrella ribs. It will thus be evident that there is imposed a force upon the clasps which urges it away from the rib tips, which tends to pull the clasps away from the gathered portions l2 of the fabric. By turning the secured clasps 180 as explained, the tendency of the clasps to pull away from the fabric is further thwarted; this outward force is now exerted by the turned clasp at a point somewhat inwardly of the edge of the fabric; this point is indicated at X in Fig. 3 and is exerted by the ends 3, 3, Fig. 1 of the wings, when folded .over the fabric as described.

The clasp, or rather its flat portion 8, Fig. 1, has a slight ridge 2, which is formed during the stamping operation, to reinforce the clasp and strengthen it against bending at this point.

As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the wings I, 1 when folded down, present their facing edges in close abutment. Instead of this abutting relationship of the wings, one wing may overlie the other; that is, one wing may be made somewhat wider than the other, so that the wings may be folded inoverlapped, rather than abutting position. In this case, one of the pair of slide bars 2?, 21 may be made somewhat longer than the other so that its end will contact one wing first to fold it before the other one is folded.

I claim:

1. A clasp for securing the fabric to the ribs of an umbrella, fabricated from a metal blank to provide a tubular end and an ornamental end separated by a fiat body portion having sides bent up from said flat body portion, said sides parallel to said tubular and ornamental ends to present a pair of upstanding wings, said pair of wings being adapted to be folded down to secure a portion of the umbrella fabric between said folded wings and said flat body portion of the clasp.

2. The clasp according to claim 1 wherein the said flat body portion and the said wings are provided with symmetrical cutouts symmetrical with respect to the center axis of said clasp and wherein the edge of the umbrella fabric passes through said cutouts so that the fabric is bunched at said flat body portion.

3. The clasp according to claim 2 wherein said cutouts are provided at the edge of the flat body portion and wings adjacent said ornamental end of the clasp, said clasp positioned with its ornamental end towards the umbrella tip and its tubular end towards said umbrella handle when the umbrella fabric is secured between said wings and said flat body portion the fabric-secured clasp being turned to present its said tubular end for attachment to the umbrella ribs.

4. A clasp for securing the fabric to the ribs of .an. umbrella, fabricated from a metal blank to provide a tubular end and a fiat body portion having sides bent up from said flat body portion, saidsides parallel to said tubular and ornamental ends to present a pair of upstanding wings, said pair of wings being adapted to be folded down to secure a portion of the umbrella fabric between said folded wings and said flat body portion of the clasp.

5. The clasp according to claim 4 further provided with a longitudinal reinforcing ridge.

MARCO FERRANTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

